 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, coming back to ski in Europe this year after a couple of years of East Coast US skiing. Want to avoid France as we always used to go there and want to try something different. Our friends are taking little kids and have decided that Esprit would be the best fit for them, which pretty much means a choice between Selva and Obergurgl if we don't want to do France (we discounted Saas Fee due to a long transfer). Selva would probably be the top choice if it weren't for the worry about the lowish altitude. We have to go the 2nd week of March, and we're wondering if it's too much of a risk that we'll be skiing in slush the whole time. I know you never know what the weather is going to be like anywhere but it would be good to hear people's experiences of the Dolomites in March.
We're all experienced intermediates and my husband and I like a challenge too and like to try out the bumps and steeper stuff.
Thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I personally wouldn't be worried about skiing around Selva in the second week of March which I assume you will be there from the 10th to the 17th? The slopes above Selva are quite high,maybe not as high as Obergurgl but still high enough. The Ciampinoi lift goes up to 2250m, Col Raiser up to 2100m, Seceda up to 2500m and Dantercepies up to 2300m. In a average year Obergurgl would proabably have more snow but it's hard to predict what will happen year on year.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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neigehead, I've been to Selva 3 times in the second week (5th-12th) in March. Once it was full winter, with deep freeze & overnight snowfalls every night in the village, once it was spring-like with the lower pistes turning to porridge in the late afternoon and watching the sun go down eating ice cream on the cafe terrace, but still good snow high up on the shady pistes and the other time it was somewhere in between with a big snowfall midweek to freshen it up. No-one can predict what this season will bring.
All I can say is that you will enjoy the huge extent of skiing, the spectacular scenery, the good food & the fun-loving ambience at Selva! 
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There is no comparison between Selva Gardena and Obergurgl as far as the variety of terrian goes as the former wins by miles.
Starting From Selva uphill is the mighty Sella Ronda circuit the longest in the world. One can go clockwise or anticlockwise to cover this 40km circuit (inluding lifted distances). Sella Ronda alone is formed by 4 of the 12 resorts of Dolomites domain!
Going downhill is Santa Cristina and Ortisei which has its own separate circuit lasting the whole day skiing around Alps Du Siusi, Santa Cristina and Seceda. The two are parts of the 510km piste fully linked areas of Sella Ronda with Selva Gardena being an integral part of it. Everything from Ortisei to Selva is counted as one area of the Selva Gardena which is the biggest of the 12 areas of Dolomites.
Although only been Dolomites twice I never found snow in short supply there in the 7 out of the 12 areas I skied. Snow is late this year so 2nd March should be OK.
Obergurgl does win for having the base level at 2000m but its 110km piste domain is a lot smaller (22% of what Sleva Gardena got). The domain is long and compact with 4 mountains linked up laterally. The 2nd mountain is not skiiable and the link is by a long gondola ride. It is an upmarket resort as the younger skiers tend to choose the cheaper neighbouring Solden which is larger and has more variety of runs linked by 4 peaks. Solden also has a glacier at the sunny side making skiing much more enjoyable especially comparing with a foggy day in Obergurgl.
If these are the two choices between Selva Gardena and Obergurgl I would grab the former knowing if I couldn't manage later with the latter at least I have a go at the better one. Skiing Obergurgl and missing out Selva Gardena will almost certainly a regret whenever you hear things about Dolomites. In other word if you ski Selva you at least taste the cream of the Dolomites.
Also if I have to nominate the best in Italy I would go for the Dolomites. For the best of the Austrian I would put at least St Anton/Lech and Ischgl/Samnaun before Obergurgl for snow, upmarket image and facilities.
Normally I would prefer the Austrian resorts to the Italian but in this case I think the comparison is between 1st and 3rd division.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I've always been a great Arlberg fan but the Dolomites win hands down for piste variety, food, service, scenery, atmosphere ...
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I'd agree that the Dolomites vs Obergurgl isn't a fair contest really (for what you're looking for anyhow). Ischgl or Alberg as mentioned are.
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I know I have put forward a strong view but that is because the OP is from the other side of the pond and can do with some obvious data.
The biggest North America resort is Whistler/Backcomb but in my judgement it is about the same size of Espace Killy (Val D'Isere linked with Tignes) in France and SH here have already proved with the acreage. Espace Killy has only 310km piste. The biggest is the French 3V with 600km piste. Selva Gardena is one corner of Sella Ronda which is the second largest "linked" skiing domain with 510km piste. Even ignoring completely the stunning scenery, the variety of the Italian cuisine, the fantastic price (among the cheapest in the Alps) and the various programmed circular routes (the forward journey and return journey on different lifts and runs) a visitor to Selva Gardena knows at least he is sampling the second largest linked skiing domain in the world with the possibility trying the largest skiing circuit of the world the Sella Ronda.
Ski pass itself should be a shock to the North American skiers visiting Selva Gardena or any part of Dolomites. The peak season ski pass for say the Colorado Vail/Beaver Creek this year is $102/day. The equivalent for Selva is 44 Euro which at 1.33 exchange rate amounts to less than $59. The Dolomites does a superski pass that cover its entire region of 1200km piste in 12 areas for 48 Euro per day or about $64. I know most of the Colorado resorts' daily pass are about $100 or close to it. Thus on a like to like basis Gardena pass is only about 58% of the similar premium skiing resort of the USA.
To make the full use of the Dolomites Superski pass one needs a car but it is mind boggling to be able go around skiing the potential 1200km piste on a single pass. I stayed in Santa Cristina (next to Val Selva Gardena) once and another time at Arabba and managed to sampled the 7 out of the 12 Dolomites resorts. There is some truth in criticising Dolomites could be too tame for those seeking challenge in skiing as it hasn't got the breadth and depth of the extreme skiing, which isn't popular with the European skiers anyway, dotted frequently in some of the American resorts. In any case many SHs here would share my view that a Italian black run is often easier than one in Switzerland/Austria/France. However I do feel if one seeks out to find what the Italian Alps has to offer one goes away with a pretty good idea after spending some time in Val Garden.
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Wrong question really. As a veteran of 8 Esprit holidays with my own 3 children they will be the focus of your efforts! You have not said how old they are, but the key to your enjoyment (and continuing friendship) will be them. If they are under 8 yrs old then do make sure your friends take the full Esprit Childcare package of Lessons, Snow Club and supervised lunch, especially if you opt for Selva as you may be a long way from the Chalet by lunchtime and this gives you all day to yourselves. If they are up to skiing with you in the afternoon then I would still suggest lessons and supervised lunch. You would have to meet them about 2pm and they'd probably last no more than two hours after that. If they can ski with you all day then don't go with Esprit.
If it simply a question of the skiing them my Italian trained ski racing mini-dudes would say Selva everytime. Glad I spent all that money on Esprit as I now have long lunches while they smash the Snowpark!!!!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Obergurgl is high but bland. Average skiing.
Selva is low but pretty. Average skiing.
If you only have two choices, go to Selva.
If you have a third or fourth choice, go to Zermatt or Lech.
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Thanks for all the advice guys. panaga52, has probably hit the nail on the head - what's best for the kids will probably win out. Although they won't be mine so shouldn't impinge on my skiing too much!! But for our friends, that's what it will all be about - the kids are only little - one's a baby so perhaps Obergurgl being a more compact ski area would make things easier. Obergurgl certainly wouldn't normally be on my radar - I'd rather head to the Arlberg if going to Austria as Whitegold, and Grizwald, mentioned, but it didn't work out for the others in our group.
I think we would all rather go to the Dolomites, being big fans of nice lunches and enjoying large skiing areas. It's good to get some sound advice from people who've actually skied these places.
Thanks for the info saikee, but I feel bad now with you going to all that trouble as I'm not American!! I'm English and spent 10 yrs in France before moving to the US. So, I'm used to skiing in Europe, it was just always France - it'll be nice to go somewhere different. Have to say tho, that we've enjoyed our taste of East Coast skiing these last two seasons - it's a lot better than I expected, altho expensive as you rightly pointed out. Can't wait until we actually get to go out West, but from where we are it's actually easier in some ways to ski in Europe.
Anyway, thanks again everyone for your input - I will share it with our group and hopefully we can finally decide on something. Bon ski!
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